Afterward, Flora went to bed, claiming she was tired. I asked her to gather more information on this topic, and she said she'd talk to her teacher and request her private notes. I felt hopeful once more. Maybe I could find a way out of this mess? I had been tossing and turning on my mattress; it was already midnight, and everyone had fallen asleep except for me. "Why did Atticus pay her fees on my behalf?" I questioned myself as I sat up on the mattress after giving up on trying to fall asleep. "Maybe Flora is onto something. He might be regretting his decision to reject me," I offered as an explanation. It seemed reasonable. Another sign that he might not be entirely truthful when he claimed to feel nothing for me was how possessive and jealous he acted whenever he saw me with someone else. I shuffled over to the window and gazed outside at the empty road. I was startled by a howl and saw a wolf dashing through the darkness away from my house and toward the road, disappearing from view. "Ah!" I gasped in fear, wondering who it could be. Why was a fully transformed wolf on our property? I struggled to make out its fur in the darkness as it ran. After watching it in puzzlement for a brief moment, I concluded that a werewolf might have gotten lost and ended up here. I returned to bed and slept through the rest of the night. As planned, Mr. Holt came to pick me up for school, and, as usual, dad didn't object. "I've figured out a way to help you out of this situation," he said, breaking the silence that had lasted for minutes after we got into the car together. "Really? What is it?" I asked, my hopes rising. He looked tired, probably having stayed awake all night. "If someone can claim they've felt the mate bond with you and that you're their second chance mate, you can be verified as a fey," he explained, pulling a small book from his coat and showing me its contents. "Oh!" I sighed, "but I don't even have a wolf anymore to feel a mate bond. And what if I really am a fey? I won't feel the mate bond, so---," I covered my face with my hands, feeling trapped once again. "Right," he said, looking defeated. "My sister told me they've added a new chapter to their curriculum about this whole prophecy. Maybe it'll bring me some good news?" I recalled, and he seemed a bit lost because he didn't know about it. "Hm, I'll need to get those notes," he said. "I told Flora to get me the private ones," I added, but I stopped when I saw the way he was looking at me, as if calling me silly in a million different ways. "You think she'll hand over her private notes to a student? I'll find a way to gather information on this matter. Off to school now," he promised, then pointed to the door, urging me to leave with a playful smile. I went to school and, after stashing my belongings in my locker, hurried to the backyard where Atticus was already beginning the training. "We're starting now," Atticus clapped his hands, motioning for us to line up. He had been doing rounds with us, so he removed his jacket while everyone couldn't help but admire his abs. His muscles were really defined, and the veins running down to his hands caught my attention. He was a real hunk, incredibly handsome and good-looking. Looking at him brought back memories of my sister's words. "Now, we'll test everyone's sprinting speed," he surveyed everyone and instructed us to form groups of three. Fortunately, he didn't pair me with Rosalie. She turned only slightly to give me a disdainful glare before looking straight ahead. Rosalie's group went first, and I must admit, she sprinted at lightning speed. Atticus was selecting a weaker sprinter from each group to provide extra attention to. "Step forward," Atticus then pointed to my group. I stepped forward and joined the other two girls in the row, feeling the chilly breeze on my skin. Without my wolf, I couldn't experience the warmth of her fur, and relying solely on my human form felt torturous. "Ready!" Atticus shouted, his hands on his waist. "Go!" he commanded. Before I could even start sprinting, a strange pain shot through my body, reaching my heart. Concerned about how others might perceive me if I complained, I endured it. I hesitated for a moment before pushing past the others. Despite being weaker than them, I used every ounce of my abilities to at least match their speed. I could hear people laughing and teasing me for lagging behind. I ignored the taunts and continued running until my gaze landed on a window on the top level of the school building. The scene I witnessed made me falter in my steps. "Don't give up; keep going!" Atticus clearly noticed my distraction, but even his words couldn't snap me back to reality. There was someone in that window, having aggressive sex. The pain in my heart intensified. It wouldn't have been such a painful sight if the guy I recognized wasn't Enzo, and the girl who I feared it might be. "Mara!" A gasp escaped my lips. My steps slowed as I became fixated on the window. I stumbled over something in my path and ended up face-planting in front of everyone. Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched my friend with my mate. The way they were engaged in those actions appeared intense and uninhibited. There was no mistaking what I was witnessing. It was evident from their expressions that they were completely oblivious to everything else in that moment. I could hear everyone laughing at my fall, but my mind was still consumed by the sight before me. They even made some nasty comments about me being lazy and unable to do anything right. However, the tears in my eyes weren’t from the fall but from my friend going behind my back to sleep with my mate. "Arghhh!" My cry was enough to make others laugh and label me a loser. Despite my complete focus on the shocking sight, I could feel the comments starting to filter into my ears upon seeing Enzo and Mara together.